Transplanting machine



June 24, 1930. s, W, VOLUNK 1,765,469

`TMNSPLANTING MACHINE Uriginal Filed Feb. 27, 1928 'Patented June 24, 1930 j y. Y 1,765,469

UNITED SIA-TES yminut*oserei-. f

SIMON W. voLLINK, or Tueur/ISEE, MICHIGAN TRANSPLANTING MACHINE original application mea February 27, 192s, serial No. 257,382. Divided ana this application iiiaa may s, f 1929. -serriai No. 361,425. ,y Y l This invention relates to improvements is supported at its front end by the draw in transplanting machines oIn the type shown bars 6.. On'this sub-'frame I mount a furin my application for Letters ',Patent filed row opener 7 and'at the rear of the furrow February 277 1928Serial No. 257,382, the opener arevpress wheels 8.- These parts are present application being ak division of said illustrated and describedfin detail in my said 55 application. i a application.v i The main objects of this invention are: The plants are delivered into the furrow First, to provide atransplanting machine `formed by the furrow opener in proper re- .adapted for thegtransplan'ting,ofrelatively lation to the press Wheels by meansoc a w small andv delicate plants such as celery, conveyor' consisting of a chain 9 carrying-eo beets, cabbage, tomato plants and the like a plurality of holders designated generally which handles the plants withouty injury by the v numeral 10. These holdersl are thereto,l mountedin spaced relation on the chain 'as Second, to provide a machine of. this charmay be desired according to the spacing of acter which is of very large capacity. x plants required. l e5 Objects relating to details and economies The vholders are'carried by base members of yInyinvention will appear from the de- 11 designed toqreplace'one of the links'of scription-to follow. The invention is defined thel chainy so that a dierent seti-up or and pointed out inthe. claims. '1 1 spacing is easily had-.f f 'x A structurewhich is a preferred embodi- The holders comprise body vmembers-12 70 ment of -my invention yisfillustrated in the formed, .in the. embodiment lillustrated,a's accompanying drawing, in which: y. sheet: metal stampings and have Harige-like Fig. 1 is a side elevation yof a structure base portions 13 at ltheir inner ends recessed embodying the features of my invention, at 14: to receivethe base member 11. The portions not directly concerned with the subends of these.-iiangesloverlap adjacent links 75 ject matter of this application being` shown as Villustrated in Fig.'2 sothat when 'the by dotted lines. t 1 chain is taut lthe holdersare supported sub- Fig. 2`is a perspective `view of. a lirag-l stantially at-right angles thereto. ment'of fthe' conveyor, showing,y one or-its The body members 12 havelongitudinal goplantholders. I .a channels 15 opening at lthe outer ends of SeA Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view. of one of -thefholders Elastic gripping lmembers 16 the plant holders. A are disposed across these channels adjacent' Fig. 4C is a sectionalview on 'lineA-4 of their outer ends. These gripping members Figs. y2'and3. l e 'l areeonvenientlyfformed of elastic bands of 5 is a` fragmentary vewpeltallyn proper "width, the ends of which aredis- 85' VGIlCal 860121011011 :1 111@ 5-5l 0f Flg- 1f posed through holes 17 and 18 on opposite f 'In the drawing, Slmlla'rreference' Chaim@- sides ofthe ychannelflv and retained bythe ters` refepto smnlar parts throughout the pins and 20M-,meh` are dispo-SBE through Several. VleWS- the bights of the bands, asshown ,in Fig. 3.'

40 -L'fReferring'to thedrawing,l1 represents the The holders are provided with pvoted jawsV 2l, also, preferably formedv as sheet Y main carrying orrunning gear frame which is designed to su) ort. they operating; arts. Y l Y This dame` isprlorvided with'y carrying yand met.a1 tfstammgs 52d mllng ieairwmdy; driving wheels 2 and carryingand'steering prole@ mg anges a en' Inner en's wheel The enginedesignated `generally y .by the .numeral 4 is mounted abovethej4 carrymnating in knuckles 23 engaged by the PV ing 'wheels f2( 'The "driving" connections ots 24 Which are Carried by ears 2511 @nih/e thereto-arenot described.` in I rear side ofthe body membersof the hold- Themachine is provided with a sub-frame ers. -At their" outer. iends, thejaws. 21 are 50 y.designated genera11ybythe numeral 5 yand provided' with inwardly projecting ianges i0@ V,disposed through thepopening 17 and ter- 9.5' i

` I carried by 26 and along their sides with out-turned flanges 27. l

Resilient or elastic grippers 28 are arranged around the jaws and owing to their being arranged over the .flanges at the ends of therjaws, are supported thereby, providing elastic gripping faces. These bands engage the inner edges of the holes 17 so that they act as springsY for holding the jaws normally in open position. This arrangement provides an effective means for holding the plants without injury thereto, even very delicate seedlings such .as beets and the like. 9

The conveyor is driven so that as the holders are carried along the operator occupying the seat 30 places the plants Within the jaws Awhich are automatically closed thereon and the holders to the point of delivery. v

lIn the embodiment illustrated, the driving and supportingmeans for the conveyor consists'of va driven sprocket wheel 31,*guide pulley 32 on the axle vof the press wheelsS and the guide pulley 33 carried bythe up-v right 34 so that the downwardly moving reach of the conveyor is approximately vertical and in front ofy the occupant of the seat 30 and 'tables l35 are provided for the plants. Y l

The holders are closed andA retained in closed position by a pair of spaced closing and retaining members 36, the upper ends of which project above the tables and are flared, as l.shown inl Fig. 5.4 The 'operator lays the plants,top inward, between the resilient grippers preferably `retaining his grasp on the same until the holders are carried between the closing members, which forming ofthe channel closes the jaws, the flanges 27 thereof engaging one of the closingnienibers and receiving the wear, the rib'resulting from the Y l5. receiving the wear on the other side; Y

The retaining members-are curved rearwardly and have horizon-tal portions 3700nformed so as to release the holders in proper relation to the presswlieels so that the soil lis pressed around the roots or the plants partially at least wliile'tliey Vare 'still supported by the holders. l lThe speed 'of the conveyor isthe sameas the speed .of travel of thev machine over the surface of the ground so that there is no distortion or tilt- Ving of' the plants.

The `pulley isca'rried by an arm 38 pivoted at 39 and adjust'ably supported by the link l0 so thatV the pulley is' adjustably supported; i Y My improved tiaiisp-l'anting niachineis especially designed for the handling-:of delicate plants but'it isl also vdesirable for use in planting roots, bulb. 'or tubers, or plants in which sections thereo'are used in propagation. Y

ing a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face and longitudinal openings at each side of said channel adjacent n its outer end, an elastic bandhaving its ends disposed through said openings and engaged by retaining pins disposed on the rear side of said body member providing;V a vresilient gripper extending across said channel, a movableV jaw having Va rearwardly projecting flange at its inner end terminatiiigin a pivot engaging knuckle, a coacting pivot mounted on the rear side of said body meine ber, said jaw having an inwardly projecting flange at its outer end, an elastic band arranged longitudinally around said jaw between its said side flanges providing a yielding gripper and acting to lyieldingly hold the jaw in its open position, the outer edge of the opening through which the jaw is arranged constituting a. stop limiting the opening movement thereof, and spaced closing members disposed at the 'sides Iof the path of travel of said holders to close the jaws and retain themv in" closed position until the holders reach the point of delivery.

2. In a structure of the class described, fr `the combination of a conveyor provided with a plurality of holders each comprising a body member having a Y nel in its face and longitudinal openings. Yat

each side of said channel adjacent its outer 3;;1

end, an elastic band having itsy ends-dislongitudin'al chan- Vieu' posed through said openings and engaged n L by retaining of said body member providing a. resilient gripper extending' 'across said channel, a

movable jawhaving a vrearwardly projecting liange at pivot engaging fknuckle, a co'actin'g` pivot mounted on the rear side pins'disposed on the rear side:

its inner end terminating in a f of said body member, `said jaw having van inwardly projectiff-'U ing flange at its outer end, an elastic band arranged longitudinally `around said jaw Y i between its said side flangesA providing a yielding 'gripper :and actingl tof'V yieldingly hold the jaw iii-'its .open position, and spaced 'f closing members disposed at the sides off the path of travel of said 'holders to close the jaws and retainV them in -closed position until the holders reachtheapoint ofdeliver 3. In va str-uctureofjthe class descii "d, l

' a holder comprising a body member having side of said channel adjacent a longitudinal channel in its face and longitudinal openings at each side of said channel adjacent its outer end, an elastic band having its ends disposed through said openings and engaged by retaining pins disposed on the rear side of said body member providing a resilient gripper extending across said channel, a movable jaw having a rearwardly .projecting flange at its inner end terminating in a pivot engaging knuckle, a coacting pivot mounted on the rear side of said body, said jaw having an inwardly projecting flange at its outer end, and an elastic band arranged longitudinally around said jaw between its said side flanges providing a yielding gripper and acting to yieldingly hold the jaw in its open position, the outer edge of the opening through which the jaw is arranged constituting a stop limiting the opening movement thereof.

4:. In a structure of the class described, a lioldercomprising a body member having a longitudinal .channel in its face and longitudinal openings at each side of said channel adjacent its outer end, an elastic band having its ends disposed through said openings and engaged by retaining pins disposed on the rear side of said body member providing a resilient gripper extending across said channel, a movable jaw having a rearwardly projecting flange at its inner end terminating in a pivot engaging knuckle, a coacting pivot mounted on the rear side of said body member, said jaw having an inwardly projecting flange at its outer end, and an elastic band arranged longitudinally around said jaw between its saidside flanges providing a yielding gripper and acting to yieldingly hold the jaw in its open position. 5. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a conveyor provided with a plurality of holders each comprising a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face and longitudinal openings at each its outer end,

an elastic band having its ends disposed through said openings and engaged by yretaining pins disposed on the rear side of said body member providing a resilient gripper extending across said channel, a movable jaw having a rearwardly projecting flange at its inner end terminating in a pivot engaging knuckle, a coacting pivot f' mounted on the rear side. of said body member, said jaw having aninwardly projecting flange at its outer end, an elastic band arranged longitudinally around said jaw between its said side flanges providing ayielding gripper, and means for closing the jaws and retaining them in closed position during predetermined periods of travel.

6. In a structure of the class described, a holder comprising a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face and longitudinal openings aty each side offsaidk channel adjacent its outer end, an elastic band having its ends disposed through said openings and engaged by retaining pins disposed on the rear side ofl said body member providing a resilient gripper extending across said channel, a movable jaw having a rearwardly projecting flange at its inner end terminating in a pivot engaging knuckle, a coacting pivot mounted on member, said jaw having an inwardly projecting flange at its outer end, and an elastic band arranged longitudinally around said jaw between its said side flanges providing a yielding gripper.

Y 7 In a structure of the class described, a holder comprising a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face, an elastic gripper disposed transversely across said channel, a movable jaw having a rearwardly projecting flange atits inner end disposed through said body member at one side of said channel, a pivot engaging said ange,

saidy jaw having Van inwardly projecting flange at its outer end, and a yielding gripai per extending between said flanges in opposed relation to said gripper on said body member and acting to yieldingly hold 'the jaw in its open position.

8. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a conveyor provided witha plurality of holders, each comprising a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face, a yyielding gripper supported at its ends disposed channel, a jaw pivotally mounted yon said body member to swing transversely of said channehand a resilient gripper on said jaw disposed in opposed relation to said gripper on said body member.

9. In a structure of the class described comprising -a body member having a longitudinal channel in its face, a yielding gripper supported at its ends disposed transversely across said channel, ajaw pivotally mountedk on said body member to swing transversely of said channel, and a resilient gripper on said jaw lation to said gripper on said body member.

10. In a structure of the class described, the combination of a conveyor provided with a plurality of holdersy arranged with part of the holders facing in opposite directions and laterally of their path of travel, and each comprising a body membershaving a longitudinal channel in its face, an elastic gripper disposed across the channel adjacent disposed in opposed rethe rear side of said body '5 transversely across said its outer end, and a movable jaw pivotally mounted on said gripper to swing transversely thereof, said movable jaw being prosiMoN w.y voLLiNx.

I have hereunto set I 

